Mark W. McFarland, DO In my practice as a Spine physician, I see a variety of injuries and illnesses in my office every day which pertain to the spine, back and neck. An interesting condition that I sometimes treat is that of a patient whose spine has lost its natural curvature in the lumbar region,… Read more »
Category: Orthopedics
Will Insurance Deny my Hip Replacement Surgery if I’m a Smoker? (A Web Chat Question)
Moderated by Boyd W. Haynes III, MD That’s a fantastic question. Currently, insurance companies do not take smoking status into consideration when choosing to approve or deny joint replacement surgeries. However, we have a lot of scientific research that proves that smoking is quite detrimental to bone growth, blood circulation, bone and soft tissue healing… Read more »
Two Questions about the ROMTech® Bike for Knee Replacement Surgery Rehab at Home (Webchat)
Moderated by Boyd W. Haynes III, MD If my insurance doesn’t cover the ROMTech® bike, can I rent it? I love motivated patients! It has been my experience that most insurance companies fully cover the ROMTech® bike, for about three weeks of patient usage in their home while rehabilitating from knee replacement surgery. After three… Read more »
Five Quick Steps to Improve Your Posture
Jonathan Lorusso, LPTA When you see someone striking enter a room, what is one of the first things you notice? It may be their beauty or their expensive suit, but it probably has to do with how they carry themselves and their posture. But did you know that good posture is also beneficial to your… Read more »
Five Reasons to Request an Orthopaedic Ambulatory Surgery Center for Your Procedure
Boyd W. Haynes III, MD Making the decision to have an orthopaedic surgery is a big deal. It involves coordinating many moving parts, like your work, your family, and your responsibilities. Who will care for you while you recover? Will your insurance cover the cost fully or how much will you have to pay out… Read more »
Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB): A Diagnostic Tool and a Treatment for Pain
Raj N. Sureja, MD As an Interventional Pain Management Specialist, I have injections that I often use for dual purposes: 1) for diagnostic reasons – to find or pinpoint a source of pain or to confirm that diagnosis and 2) to treat pain and inflammation caused by a condition, injury, or illness. Steroid injections are… Read more »
What is the “Gelling” Effect of the Knee?
Boyd W. Haynes III, MD In this article, I’m going to put on my chef’s hat and take you inside the kitchen for a brief cooking lesson. No, I’m not giving up my day job as an Orthopaedic surgeon, but I want to use a culinary illustration to describe a process that occurs in the… Read more »
In a Virginia Peninsula First, Dr. Mark McFarland performs Lumbar Fusion using the Globus Sable®Expandable Lumbar Interbody Cage
NEWPORT NEWS, Va., Dec. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Mark W. McFarland, DO performed a Lumbar Fusion on a 57-year-old female using the Globus Sable® Expandable Lumbar Interbody Cage at Mercy Mary Immaculate Hospital in Newport News, VA on October 21, 2021. “My patient had spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease and spondylolisthesis of the lumbar spine…. Read more »
Treatments for Polyneuropathy
Jenny L. F. Andrus, MD In the past few articles, I have addressed that polyneuropathy can be caused by a variety of underlying conditions or for idiopathic (unknown) reasons. For that reason, I typically will work in concert with the patient, other physicians, including the Primary Care physician, and perhaps other specialists, depending on the… Read more »
Polyneuropathy – Symptoms and Diagnosis
Jenny L. F. Andrus, MD Nerve pain is varied, and patients may describe it in the following terms: stinging, burning, stabbing, numb, heavy, tickling, sore, aching, throbbing, shocking, tingling, pressure, “pins and needles” or just plain weird. It can also make the affected area sensitive to touch or cold and make normal pleasurable stimuli feel… Read more »